Topic 1.4 State Building in the

Americas

THE MAP Using the sheet provided map the following American civilizations:

◻ North America:◻ Cahokia – 700 CE-1500 CE◻ Chaco – 800 CE – 1200 CE◻ Mesa Verde – 1190 CE – 1300 CE

◻ Mesoamerica: ◻ Olmec – 1500 BCE – 400 BCE◻ Teotihuacan – 300 BCE – 650 CE◻ Toltec – 900 CE – 1168 CE◻ Aztec – 1325 CE – 1521 CE◻ Maya –1500 BCE –1539 CE

◻ South America◻ Moche –200 BCE – 700 CE ◻ Inca – 1230 CE to 1533 CE

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The Illustrated TimelineCreate an Illustrated Timeline for

the following Civilizations:

1. Cahokia

2. Chaco

3. Mesa Verde

4. Aztec/Mexica

5. Maya

6. Inca.3

Requirements: You must have a chronological timeline with a start date and end

date, and it must be neat. Use a ruler to create the timeline and

then establish how many years an inch is going to equal. For

instance, does 1 inch on your timeline equate to 100 years, or does

it equate to 150? You also MUST plot the start date and end date

of each culture (a total of 12 dates on the timeline). (10 points)

You must have an illustration for 3 of the 6 cultures. (30 points)

You must write 2 complete thoughts per culture (a total of 24)

summarizing the rise/expansion of the states in the Americas AND

the fall of these empires and their impact/legacy. (60 points)4

American “Empires”◻ North America:

◻ Cahokia – 700 CE-1500 CE◻ Chaco – 800 CE – 1200 CE◻ Mesa Verde – 1190 CE – 1300 CE

◻ Mesoamerica: ◻ Olmec – 1500 BCE – 400 BCE◻ Teotihuacan – 300 BCE – 650 CE◻ Toltec – 900 CE – 1168 CE◻ Aztec – 1325 CE – 1521 CE◻ Maya –1500 BCE –1539 CE

◻ South America◻ Moche –200 BCE – 700 CE ◻ Inca – 1230 CE to 1533 CE

North America

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Cahokia City-states – large towns that controlled nearby villages. Cahokia was the

largest and a trading city by using canoes along the river to trade maize, beans, and squash. (located in modern day Illinois right after crossing the Mississippi River from Missouri)

Known as the Mississippian culture, they built enormous earthen mounds which were religious centers. Here they practiced animism –natural world is filled with spirits.

Go here for more information:https://cahokiamounds.org/explore/ or https://tinyurl.com/y5dzeml8

Mesa Verde Located in Colorado, the people were also sometimes called the Pueblo

Peoples. Starting around 600 CE, originally the peoples lived on top of the mesa, growing grew squash, corn, and beans.

However, by 1190 CE they began to build multistory structures of sandstone bricks and mortar underneath the mesa around 1190. These were trading cities.

They began to move/migrate away around 1300 CE.

Go here for more info:https://www.livescience.com/27360-mesa-verde.html or https://tinyurl.com/ybdn8e8e

Chaco Known as the Anasazi, Chaco Canyon was the center of the civilization,

with large pueblo buildings (hence the nickname the Pueblo Peoples)

Chaco Canyon served as an administrative, trading, and ceremonial center and it’s distinctive architecture – it was an ancient urban ceremonial center and is sometimes called the Machu Picchu of North America.

Rose in 800 CE and predominantly fell in 1100-1150 CE.

Descendants include the Southwest Indians such as the Hopi, Navajo and Zuni in North America.

Go here for more info:https://www.livescience.com/59218-chaco-culture.html

The AmericasMesoamerica

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Olmec Began circa 1500 BCE and lasted to 400 BCE –

existed at the same time as the early city-states of the Mayans.

Developed an elite class system based on who controlled the food, which was grown using the Coatzacoalcos River. They used the river systems to create a trading society.

In demand goods included works of art made of jade, clay, basalt and greenstone. The Olmec are known especially for the giant heads, jade masks, and the Kunz axes which were used for religious rituals.

Developed writing using hieroglyphics.

Fell possibly due to changes in environment affecting their good sources, such as tectonic plate movement or volcanism.

Go here for more info:https://www.ancient.eu/Olmec_Civilization/

Teotihuacan

Built around 300 BCE, it became one of the biggestcities in the Classical Era.

They traded with the Mayans.

Had human sacrifice at the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon

Complex bureaucracy and pyramids

Went into decline around 600-650 CE, followed by the Toltecs

Eventually the city is taken over by the Aztec society, and is 30 miles northwest of Tenochtitlan

Go here for more info:https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Teotihuacan

Toltecs

The Toltecs lasted from 900 CE to 1168 CE. The Aztecs saw them as intellectual and cultural predecessors.

There are some disagreements about the Toltec, seeing them as possible connections to the Mayans.

The city of Tollan is their largest settlement, and laid in a grid pattern similar to some Mayan city-states.

Traded with gold, jade, turquoise, obsidian, and quetzal feathers.

They had a Feathered Serpent god/hero.

Ended possibly because of drought, or war.

Go here for more info:https://www.ancient.eu/Toltec_Civilization/

Aztec Empire 1325 CE to 1521 CE, capital city is Tenochtitlan

Grew crops such as corn, beans, and squash on “floating gardens” called chinampas made by putting mud on huge mats made of woven reeds and placing them in the lake – farming on soil.

Polytheistic, with the sun god as most important, known for human sacrifices.

They had a powerful king and often conquered other tribes, having a centralized government and taking captives and tribute from weaker tribes.

Fell to the SpanishGo here for more info:https://tinyurl.com/y5kuoxg6

Mayans City-states similar to the Greeks, located in Central

America, the height of the civilization is 250-900 CE. When they went to war, they fought to gain tribute (payments for the conqueror from the conquered). At height had up to 2 million Mayans

Practiced slash-and-burn agriculture and terraced fields to limit erosion

Had many gods (polytheistic) and step pyramids for the gods. Women could be priestesses for the Moon Goddess.

Often compared to the Greeks, they developed a calendar and studied math and astronomy to predict eclipses. They had the most advanced writing system with 850 glyphs to represent writing, and had the concept of 0.

Go here for more info: https://tinyurl.com/ya34vsmv

South America - the Andes

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Moche 200 BCE – 700 CE

Developed in the Andes after the Chavin

Had large pyramids that served as two major temples = Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon

Built irrigation networks to bring water from rivers to fields via ditches

Created ceramic water jars and jewelry from gold, silver, and copper

Ayllus – small communities that share the idea of common work – they have the same ancestor

Go here for more info: https://www.ancient.eu/Moche_Civilization/

Inca We know they build Machu Pichu and Cuzco (yes, Emperor’s New Groove

reference!) Their buildings were made of stone and fit perfectly without cement. They had over 2,500 miles at their height, and encompassed parts of Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Used terracing on the mountains to grow potatoes and other root crops, and kept llamas and alpacas for their meat and wool (as well as to carry goods). Note – terracing is arable landscapes on the mountains to avoid erosion and NOT unique to the Inca.

Instead of writing, used the quipu (bundles of knotted and colored ropes) to count and keep records and send messages

Used mita labor as mandatory public service to the empire – a form of tribute to the Empire.

Go here for more info: https://www.livescience.com

/41346-the-incas-history-of-

andean-empire.html

Aztec Maya IncaLocation Central America, Mexico Central America South America, along the Andes

Time Periods 1200 to 1521 400BC-1517ADHeight: 200-900AD

1200-1572AD

Capital Tenochtitlan Tikal, Chichen Itza, Copan, Cuzco

EconomyFarming (corn, beans, tomatoes,

squash) - chinampasFarming (corn, beans, squash)

TradeFarming (corn, cotton, potatoes)

- Terraces

ReligionMany gods, sun god most

important, human sacrificeMany gods, king’s blood is sacred,

sacrificed animals and some humansMany Incan gods, some human

sacrifice

Social SystemDifferent classes of people,

warriors have high social statusDifferent classes of people Emperor divine, incorporated

conquered people into the empire

GovernmentVery powerful king, highly

centralized, war was for captives and tribute

Well organized city states each with a king, war was for tribute

King is divine, provinces were created with inspectors, recorded

information on quipu

Technology Built monumental architecture, chinampas, calendar

Writing, math, monumental architecture, calendar Terraces, irrigation, medicine,

monumental architecture, roads

End of Civilization Cortes and the Spanish kill the king, the empire ended

Abandoned cities, disappeared Civil war and Spanish invasion

Contributions Corn, calendar, architectureCalendar, corn, writing, math,

architectureMedicine, irrigation, terraces,

the mita – labor service –everyone works for the state